'Dildar Dilli' is Capital’s new identity

Exactly a year ago, the Delhi government’s tourism department had started a hunt for a tagline for the Capital that sums up its history, culture, diversity and modernity in a few words.

The contest for the tagline, with a cash prize of Rs. 50,000, saw more than 12,000 entries. The winning tagline was announced on Thursday by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Amit Anand, the man behind the tagline, Dildar Dilli, is a cashier at a sweet shop in northwest Delhi’s Pitampura and had sent 35 entries for the contest. “I was born in Delhi and it is great to know that my tagline is now the chosen identity for my city. This reaffirms my faith that even an ‘aam aadmi’ like me can get recognition for his creation,” said Anand, who had come with his mother to receive the cash prize.

While most Indian states have their own taglines, Delhi didn’t have one. The idea behind a tagline is to promote Delhi as a tourist destination in itself. Delhi receives the largest number of foreign tourists every year but most of them see it largely as a transit point.

Interestingly, while the tagline is expected to promote Delhi largely among foreign tourists, the chosen tagline is in Hindi. ‘The new identity to Delhi will prove to be a benchmark in promoting Delhi in the Global Map’, a Delhi government statement said.

“We believe the tagline sums up the essence of Delhi perfectly,” said Manish Chatrath, Chairman, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC).

Apart from Anand, who gave the winning tagline, eight other participants also got cash rewards.